This thing is awesome. I picked up the Players and Presenters books, both worth every penny you pay for it. They are ripe with possibility and fun. I thought they were more in the style of a Old School game than the listed modified D&D. Ive loved the OSRIC movement and have been hording these kind of books.
These two books give so much toward creating the setting, mood, and beats of a Gothic story. You could run a game for a decade exploring whats in this book. Especially if you raid other old books for more 'd20esque' material. Imagine using Colonial Gothic (or Northern Crown) as setting pieces or cherry picking fun aspects from Ravenloft's Masque of the Red Death or Van Richten's guides. Its amazing what kind of stories practically beg to be animated with this system.
The two books do not overlap. You need the players guide for the raw system and making characters. The presenters book was all about informing the gothic feel as well as inhabiting your world with characters and animals and monsters. I bought them both together and only wish they had a package deal. I leaped into the deep end after reading through both full-sized previews, I knew I wanted in. If you have even the faintest of interests in this period or style, do not hesitate.
I almost never give 5 stars. Its so hard to consider something 'perfect' but I dropped one for each book. They were both well earned. I dont know how I could say more or better than that for any game.
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